Door-operating mechanism for dump-cars.



A.'GAMPBELL. DooR OPERATING' MBGHANISM FOR DUMP GARS.

APPLIATION FILED JAN. 5, 1912. 1,056,883, Patented Mar. 25, l98.

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f J f I l ATTO/@Nini A. CAMPBELL. poop. OPERATING MBGHANISM. For; DUMBGARS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1912.

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WUMJ @@Mmdm-l A TTORNEYS ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORT ENTERPRISE `ltAIITAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DOOR-OPERATING LIECHANISM FOR DUMP-CARS.

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Specieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 5. 1912. Serial No. 669,684.

Patented Mai'. 25, 1913.

To all whom zt may concern:

Be it known that I; ARGYLE CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Door-Operating Mechanism forDump-Cars, of which the following is a specification. t

This invention relates to'improvements in i. door operating mechanismfor dump or drop bottom cars.

The object of the invention is to provide` sim le and eilicientmechanism whereb the doors may be Lopened and closed with comparativeease, and adjustable means whereby the doors may always be tightlyandaccurately closed, a structure whereby the doors are safely and securelyand automatically locked when in closed 'position, and means forunlocking the operating shaft and connections therewith-and giving thesame an initial, rotary movement to start the unwinding of the flexibleconnection between the shaft and door to release t-he automatic lock.

One form of the invention comprises in combination with u car bodyhaving hinged drop bottom doors, a shaft, mounted in bearing plateswhich also serve as bracing members for portions of the car body, aflexible link chain or connection'between theouter or free end of the'drop bottom door and a drum lon the shaft, an adjustable eye-'boltconnection between a link of the chain and the door, means for rotatingthe shaft, locking means for preventing accidental rotation of theshaft4 comprising a' ratchet wheel and latch, and aseginental orstripped gear adapted to enga e the ratchet wheel and partially rotate te same.

rlhe invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the arts anddevices and inthe novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown,described and claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is atransverse, vertical section of a car embodying my improvements, showingone of the hinged doors inv its closed osition and another in its openposition.` t. ig. 2 is a artial, side elevation, upon an enlarged scae,v showing a portion of the operating mechanism when the door is in itsclosed or locked position. Fig. 3 is a detail view, u on an enlargedscale,

showing the adjusta le eye-bolt mounted in A with.,

In the drawing denotes the center sill of the car, the same being formedfrom an I beam, 11, 11, the transverse diaphragms or needle beams, 12,the bottom plates of the car, 13, the vertically extending sides thereofeach having at their lower ends a diagonally disposed -portion 14, thelatter being secured along its lower edge to one leg' of alongitudinally extending angle iron 14a, thev other leg of which issecured to the top flanges of the diaphragms or needle beams 11. Theusual side stakes are provided and are secured to the vertical portionsof. the sides 13 and to the outer ends of the transverse members of thecar underframe, and disposed between the side stakes and the diagonallydisposed portions 14 ofthe car sides are bracing. plates 15 which arealso secured to the diaphragms 11 below the floor level of the car.

Hinged at their inner ends lto brackets 17 are drop bottom doors 18,each of said doors being provided with a plurality of extensions 19,'each of said'extensions being in the form of an `angle iron, and havingsecured thereto another angle iron 20 and a member 21, each of saidmembers 21Ibeing provided with a threaded hole 22, in which isadjustably mounted a threaded eye-bolt 23.- A longitudinally extendingoperating shaft 24 is-provided on each side of the car for opening andclosing the drop bottom doors 18,- and as will be noted, each of theseshaftsfis disposed within a verticalplane passing through the verticalsides of the car aiid'above the floor level and within the spaceprovided between the tops of the diaphragms, the side stakes, and thediagonally disposed portions 14 of the sides, thus eliminating allundesirable projecting members on the sides of the car. These shafts 24are mounted in journal bearings formed in castings 25, and as will benoted, each of these castings is secured to a side stake 15, brace plate16, and the top flange of the transverse diaphragm, thereby serving, incombination with the brace plates 16, to support the stakes at theirweakest points, namely, at the floor level,

about which points the load of the car has a tendency to bend the stakesoutwardly. Mounted on each of the operating shafts 24 are a pluralitylof drums 26,'eaeh having a plurality of faces 27, 28,29 and 30,

the latter face being provided with aproing formed by a removable pin38. lVhen the flexible connection is wound up'on the drum, the links 34,35, and 36 are adapted to engage respectively, the vfaces Q8, 29 and 30.

Each of the links 36 is provided with a' projection 39, adapted tocoperate with a notch 3l on the face 30 of the winding drum. Each of thelinks 37 is in the form of a hook having a right angle portion 40,which, when the flexible connection is wound upon the drum, is disposedabove the operating shaft and has its pivotal connection withtheadjacentlink vertically disposed over the operating shaft. T eadjustable eye-bolt 23, when the door is. in .its closed position,extends vertically and is located directly beneath the operating shaft,so that the pivotal connection between the eye-bolt andthe link 37 islocated directly beneath the shaft and in line with the pivotalconnection at the opposite end of said link, wlierby the links of thechain and the drum on the operating shaft form an automatic lockingmeans to retain the door in its closed position. By providing theadjustable eyef vbolt Q3 for connecting the flexible connection to thedoor, I am enabled to compensate' for any wear between the parts, or anysagging of the door in use, and thus provide a means whereby the doormay always be securely closed. Each of the operating shafts 24 isprovided at one end with a ratchet Wheel 4l. keyed thereto, whereby theoperating shaft may be prevented from accidental 'rotation by means of apivoted latch 42 and adapted to be locked by a cam lever 43.

AAt the end of each shaft there is also pro vided a squared `end 44,whereby the same may be rotated by a crank and the door closed.

Hithcrto in constructions employing an operating shalt and a ilexibleconnection between the hinged' doors, when the shaft has been rotated tounwind the chain or flexible connection with 'the load being supportedby the door, considerable dangerhas been experienced, due tothe tendencyof the shaft-to rotate swiftly and to carry the ,crank therewith. Toobviate this danger, l

provide a segmental or stripped gear 45, pivotedadjacent the ratchetwheel 41, and having a plurality of teeth 46 adapted to engage the teethof' the ratchet wheel 41, said segmental gear 45being furthermoreprovided with a. squared end 47, whereby thc same may be rotated bymeans of a crank or other suitable device. To release or open the hingeddoor, the segmental gear 45 is rotated, whereby the teeth 46 engage theteeth of t-he ratchet wheel 4l and give said ratchet Wheel apartialjrotation suilicient to loosen the automatic lock between theshaft, flexible connection and door, and, as will be apparent, upon acontinued rotation of the segmental gear 45, the teeth 'thereof willdisengage from the' teeth of the ratchet wheel, whereby the operatingshaft is Jfree to rotate .without dan er of injuring the operator, sincethe cran will be engaged on the squared end 47 'and not on the squaredend 44 on the operating shaft. l

I have described o'ne orm of a car embodying my inventions, but I wishit to be understood that the same is merely illustrative, and that allchanges and modilications are contemplated as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.l

1.In a dump car having hinged, drop bottom doors, abody having ,sidesprovided ywith inwardly sloping lower portions, side stakes',transversely extending underframe members, and having said stakessecured thereto, bracing plates secured to and between said slopinglower side portions, the

stakes' and the transverse underframev members, shaft bearings securedto-the bracing plates and the side stakes and an operating shaftjournaled in said bearings and disposed above the floor level and within4the vertical plane of 'the' sides.

'2. In 'a 'dump car, in combination, a car body, a hinged drop bottomdoor, an operating shaft and a flexible connectin between said shaft andthe free end of the door, said shaft having a ratchet jvheel at one endthereof, a locking latch for said wheel, and a segmental gear adapted toe ngage a portion of the teethI of the ratchet wheel to start therotation thereof.

3. In a dump car, in combination, a car body, a hinged drop bottom door,an operating shaft. having a drum thereon, a. ilexible connectionbetween said shaft and the free end of the door, saidl flexibleconnection comprising a plurality otlinks so arranged that when they are.wound upon the izoa ratchet wheel and adapted `to engage the teeth oithe ratchet Wheelto rotate the same a partial rotation, until' theautomatic lock between the shaft, fiexible connection and door isreleased raged from thc ratchet wheel teeth toallow the operating shaftto rotate freely.I`

4. In a damp ear, in combination, a car body, a hinged drop bottom door,and an operating shaft, said shaft having,r a ratchet Wheel at one endthereof,.a locking latch for said wheel and a segmental gear adapted toengage a portion of the teeth of the rr'fhet wheel to start the rotationthereof. in a dump car, in combination, hinged hoti'rnii doors, eachprovided wit-h ex it its free end, operating shafts .l longitudinally ofthe car on each ,i j {lexibleconnections between and said doors,each-connection and to then become disen.

being )rovided with a detachable joint therein between-mo et, i.members, an eye-bolt detachably mounted in a threaded hole in each ofsaid extensions and depending vertically therefrom -and located directlybeneath said operating shafts when the doors are in their closed psition, ach of said flexible connections including` a 'hook-shaped linkpivotally secured to said eye-bolt at one end and at its opposite endtoan adjacent link in the flexible connection, the pivotal points ofsaid hook shaped links being disposed in-a vertical line passing throughthe shaft when the doors are y 1n their closed position.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

' W'itnesses:

` PEARL Aimants, H. M. MUNDAY.

